Tornos: Castle, Lagoon and Holiday Apartments

Tornos Castle stands on a small hill; from there, you can see Laguna de Gallocanta. Tornos Castle is classified as a Bien de Interés Cultural (Property of Cultural Interest).

The town’s nature, trails and cultural attractions can be incorporated independently into your own daily itinerary.

Nature

Laguna de Gallocanta is the largest salt wetland on the Iberian Peninsula and the best-preserved salt wetland in Western Europe. It lies at an altitude of 1,000 metres between the comarcas of Daroca and Jiloca. It is designated as a Zona Especial de Protección de Aves (ZEPA; Special Protection Area for Birds), a wetland of international importance and a nature reserve.

Laguna de Gallocanta can be explored via paths with observation platforms and wooden towers. A local road runs along its southern side towards Tornos. The PR-Z 33 Laguna de Gallocanta–Los Lagunazos circular route is 30.6 kilometres long and involves 105 metres of ascent and descent. It begins 2 kilometres from the Laguna de Gallocanta Nature Reserve information centre, in the direction of Tornos, and ends at the information centre. Because of its length, the PR-Z 33 is designed to be travelled by car or bicycle, but it can also be walked.

Culture

On the way to the hermitage, monoliths mark the twelve Stations of the Cross. The Cofradía de la Sangre de Cristo was founded in Tornos in 1597. Its activities focus mainly on Holy Week, the Santa Cruz festival on 3 May and the La Sitiada Mass on 14 September. On 3 May, Tornos traditionally holds a procession with the Cofradía de la Sangre de Cristo, during which prayers are said for the deceased. The Día de la Asunción, also known as la Cachurrera, is celebrated in Tornos on 15 August.

The Peirón de la Plaza stands in the centre of Tornos and is built entirely of stone. The Peirón de la Virgen del Tremedal is located in the centre of Tornos, towards the road to Calamocha. The Peirón de San Juan stands on the road to Bello and has four clearly distinguishable structural components.

The Ermita de la Virgen de los Olmos is a Baroque building in Tornos, constructed between 1735 and 1750. The Iglesia de San Salvador is an 18th-century Baroque church built of masonry, with three naves covered by barrel vaults with lunettes. Its tower is made of stone and brick, has two levels and is articulated with projecting brick pilasters in the pseudo-Ionic style. The main altarpiece, dedicated to Saint Salvador, contains a 16th-century sculpture of the saint. The image now located in the Ermita de la Virgen de los Olmos is a copy of the original, which was stolen in 1987.

History

Tornos Castle formed part of a line of fortifications built between 1120 and 1134, extending from Monreal del Campo to Monreal de Ariza. The complex has three towers with square ground plans. On Cerro de la ermita de los Olmos there is a small fortified settlement with a heavily deteriorated moat and an enclosing wall measuring approximately 67 metres at its longest point and 35 metres at its narrowest.

Other Places

Other places to explore independently: Burbáguena, La Virgen De La Vega, El Castellar, Valdealgorfa, La Fresneda, Calanda, Abejuela, Villarroya De Los Pinares.

For the main travel overview: Teruel.